Video ad formats in the Ad gallery

In AdWords, the Ad gallery is a free ad-creation tool that offers various ad templates in different categories, including video. You'll need to use this tool to build video ads that use cost-per-click (CPC) , cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM), or cost-per-view (CPV) bidding.

Before you get started building and placing your ads on these sites, learn more about the video formats available and how they work:

Explore the available video ad formats for the Ad gallery

Understand where these formats may appear and how they're priced

Discover how to monitor the performance of your video ads

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Understanding the differences between similar Ad gallery video formats

There are several video formats that may be created within the same tools, and function similarly. It can be confusing to understand the difference between some of these formats and the tools used to create them, so we've summarized some important things to help you better understand your video ad options:

Traditional in-stream ads can be 30 seconds or less. Spots that are 16-30 seconds are eligible to run only on longer video content with a duration of 10 minutes or more. Spots that are 15 seconds or less may run on longer video content as well as on shorter clips.

TrueView in-stream ads may be any duration. Viewers have the option to skip the video after the five-second mark, and you are only charged when a viewer watches the entire video or through the 30 second mark, whichever comes first.

On the Google Display Network, our partners observe the same guidelines as YouTube. However, some partners do accept longer videos.

The in-video static image (overlay) template

These ads appear within streaming premium partner and user video content on YouTube, or across the Google Display Network. There are two versions of the overlay: a static image, and an interactive Flash overlay. The static image format is available using an Ad gallery Video category. The Flash overlay format is available for a limited number of advertisers.

How it works

Ads appear within an online video stream based on when the video publisher chooses to begin displaying the ad. The ad appears within the bottom 20% of the video stream's play space. Only one ad will appear in this space during each video stream.

Ads are collapsible, so a viewer can hide or show the ad while they watch the video. The ad will also automatically minimize after several seconds.

Depending on the ad format, a viewer can click the overlay to initiate one of the following: a video ad within the video player, an interactive Flash ad within the video player (limited availability), or a new browser window featuring the ad's landing page. These ads will be labeled with the notation Ads by Google.

TrueView in-stream ad templates

These formats allow you to place video ads within video content being streamed online. Your ad can appear within popular content on YouTube – in full-length TV shows and movies and in front of clips from content partners – and on video sites on the Google Display Network, such as TMZ.com, About.com, and 5min.com (in the US).

If you're focused on expanding your brand, in-stream ads can help you make that happen. Nearly one third of time spent online is spent consuming video. With AdWords, you're able to target specific content without having to bundle your ads, and this also means detailed reporting so you'll know exactly where your ads appeared, and how customers interacted with them.

How it works

Skippable in-stream ad: Place an in-stream ad that includes the option for customers to skip the ad within video publisher content. (This template has limited availability.)

When an online video is served to a website in the Google Display Network, customers will see an in-stream video play automatically before, during, or after online video content depending on where the content publisher chooses to show ads within their video content. The video will cover the entire area of original content video space.

The ad will play for a maximum duration of 60 seconds, although publishers can limit the ad content shown to 15 seconds or less. Web users won't be able to skip the in-stream ad content.

If the viewer clicks the ad while it plays, their browser will automatically launch the ad's Destination URL in a new browser window.

If you've already got a television campaign -- we're not suggesting you stop advertising online! In-stream video is a great complement to television. Here are a few benefits you may experience if you combine your television ad campaigns with in-stream ads:

Measurement: Know the effectiveness of your ad through conversion metrics and viewer behavior.

CPC: You won't be charged for each play of your video, but rather for customer clicks that load the Destination URL while your video ad is playing.

CPM: Charges are counted as soon as the ad plays. The CPM minimum for partner video sites is set individually by each publisher and therefore varies. This minimum is also specific to the US, and may vary per market.

Companion banner ads: There's no additional cost to add these to your in-stream ads. Not all video sites on the Google Display Network support companion ads. For those that do, they're free and aren't counted as an additional impression. Instead, they're counted as a single impression combined with the video ad.

The expandable video ad template

Expandable video ads appear on sites across the Google Display Network. When a customer clicks on an expandable ad, it expands to twice its width or height, depending on the format. Expandable formats encourage more interaction from interested customers by increasing your ad's presence on the page.

The following ad sizes are supported for expandable templates:

120 x 600

468 x 60

728 x 90

300 x 250

160 x 600

336 x 280

We don't charge you when a viewer clicks to expand your ad. However, we do charge you if a customer visits your landing page after clicking on the expanded ad.

Expansions will be listed in reports as "interactions," so you can track how people are interacting with your ads.

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